Bad cops could lose their badges under new California law

[Auggie]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

SACRAMENTO — California will create a police decertification process, joining 46 other states that have a system to strip officers of their badges for professional misconduct.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday signed SB2, by state Sen. Steven Bradford, D-Gardena (Los Angeles County), which will allow state regulators to revoke the licenses of officers who commit “serious misconduct,” including using excessive force, committing sexual assault, displaying bias and participating in a law enforcement gang.

The policy has long been sought by activists to prevent officers who are punished by one agency from simply moving to another jurisdiction, and it became a legislative priority in response to last year’s racial justice demonstrations.

Newsom signed the bill during a ceremony in Gardena, surrounded by weeping families who chanted the names of their sons and brothers who had been killed by police.

Read more: https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Bad-cops-could-lose-their-badges-under-new-16499739.php

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Note: paywall at the link.

There's going to be a battle over details. But it's a start.

[AZLD4Candidate]

1. The only union I do not support are the police union

Thank you, Gov. Newsom.

[mountain grammy]

2. Yes, I sadly agree.

the police unions are only about protecting police power and racist cops.

[bluestarone]

3. Very STRONG union person here! AND

I FULLY agree with your thoughts! I'm very sure these BAD COPS will someday join TFG'S army!

[Evolve Dammit]

12. ditto. I think they need to make restitution besides losing badges. And be prosecuted if warranted.

[Jedi Guy]

19. The problem is that they protect the bad and the good indiscriminately.

Police unions have their uses, just like any other union, but they need to stop defending officers no matter what, even when they're patently guilty.

The union where I work is like that and it drives me insane. I've had situations where an employee has done something wrong, the evidence is unquestionable, and the union defends them anyway.

As an example, a while back an employee and a supervisor were in the lunchroom together having a conversation, and at some point the employee called the supervisor a c**t to her face. The union defended the employee because she was on her own time as it was her lunch. Another was caught repeatedly in blatant time theft, and the union defended them, too.

Anywhere else I've ever worked, union or not, that would've resulted in consequences. But the union goes to bat, no matter what.

[SunSeeker]

4. It is outrageous that this is not already the law. nt

[whopis01]

20. My first thought exactly. n/t

[AllaN01Bear]

5. will there be a data base for them like bad drs ?

[Evolve Dammit]

13. my experience with that is that Drs. stick together and rarely will call out malpractice or validate

actions/ behaviors witnessed. I suspect the same is true of lawyers and cops.

[LiberalFighter]

6. There should be a federal database for this.

And require any law enforcement agency to make sure anyone they are considering are not in the database.

I think there should be a requirement that any federal funding for law enforcement agency requires those law enforcement agencies meet minimum standards to be eligible.

[Auggie]

7. There must be, because according to the link ...

Roger Goldman, an emeritus law professor at Saint Louis University who studies police certification, said California’s process would be among the strongest in the nation. He pointed to a provision that also prohibits hiring officers who have been decertified in other states and the lack of a requirement for an officer to be fired by his or her agency before he or she can lose their license.

“That’s a good idea, because in some states, they’re so desperate for bodies, they keep people on that should be fired,” Goldman said.

In order to have "a provision that also prohibits hiring officers who have been decertified in other states" there would have to be a national database of some kind. If not, then a very thorough vetting process.

[LiberalFighter]

8. It might only be a state database. Which require looking at each state database.

[Auggie]

9. Well, perhaps California will spearhead a national database

Maybe it's part of the legislation or provides funding for something similar

[lunatica]

10. I support this legislation!

It’s about time!

[BlueIdaho]

11. I'm sick and tired of hearing about good cops...

Until they start actively cleaning up their own ranks they are co-conspirators.

[cannabis_flower]

14. So what 3 states don't have this law? Nt

[ancianita]

16. Paywall. Unless someone can link it, I don't believe the SF Chronicle claim that CA joined "46"

other states.

I only found three that pass similar laws -- CO, IA and NY in 2020 (quick map below; can't find any others) -- and lots "discussing" and having bills about it, but no others since. Police unions are the likely reason.

[Auggie]

17. I posted the first four paragraphs exactly as they were written

[ancianita]

18. Appreciate that. I was just looking for the list of 46 other states with a similar cop reform law.

About California, this is all good news, but Americans should not be fooled by the Chronicle's first sentence into thinking that police reform laws are now the national norm. They're not.

[NullTuples]

15. Oregon & Nevada are about to get a whole lot of really bad cops...